Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-12-02

wise me TO DOR
Agnes was at loss how TO answer her; II
was all effort even to listen TO what Emily
was saying. The reference in the cOurier's
letter to Montbarry-the report of his illness,
the melancholy picture of his secluded life
had reopened the old wound. She was not
even thinking OF the lost Fcrrari; her mind
was at Venice, by the sick mans bedside.
~ hardly know what TO say" she answered.
81 have had no experience in serious matters
OF this kind"
"Do you think 1t would help you, miss, II
you read my husbands letters to mel There
are only three OF theni--they won't take long
to read.n
Agnes eompassionately read the letters
They were not written I'm very tender
tone. "Dear Emily" and Yours affection
ately"-these conventional phrases were tho
only phrases Of endearment which they con-
tained. In the Arst letter, Lord Montbarry
was not very favorably spoken Owe
leave Paris tomorrow. | don't much like
my lord. He Is proud and cold, and, between
ourselves, stingy in money matters. haVo
had TO dispute such tTihes rs few confines
in the hotel bill; and twice already, some
sharp remarks have passed between the nowly
married couple, in consequence Of her lady
ships freedom in purchasing pretty tempting
things ut the shops in Paris. 4 can't afford
It; you must keep TO your allowance She
has had 10 hear these words already. For
my part like her. She has tho nice, easy
foreign manners-she talks TO me as il was
human being like herself"
The second letter was dated from Rome.
"My lords caprices,n Ferran wrote, shave
kept us perpetually on the move. He is be-
coming incurably restless l suspect he Is
uneasy IN his mind. Painful rocollectons,
should say find him constantly reading old
letters, whom her ladyship isnot present We
were to have stopped at Genoa, but he hur-
ried us on. The Same thing at Florence.
Here, at Rome, my lady insists on resting.
Her brother has met us at this place. TheIp
has been u quarrel already, tue lady's maid
tells me, between my lord and the baron.
The latter wanted to borrow money OF the
former. His lordship refused in language
which offended Baron Rivar. My lady paci-
ied them and made them shake hands"
The third and Inst letter was from Venice.
"More of my lords economy Instead of
staying at the hotel we have hired damp,
Doldy, rambling old palace. Ny lady insists
81 having tho best suite OF rooms wherever
GO go-and tho palace comes cheaper for a
Two months term My lord tried to get it
for longer; he says the quiet Of Venice b good
for his nerves But a foreign Spectator has
secured the palace and is going to turn 1t into
hotel The baron Is still with Us, and there
have been moro disagreements about money
matters. l don't like the baron-and don't
ind tho attractions Of my lady grow on me.
She was much nicer before the baron Joined
u.s. Ny lord is a punctual paymaster; it's
matter Of honor with him; be hates parting
with his money, but he does it because he
has given his word receive my salary reg
ularly at the end OF each month-not u franc
ixtra, though have done many things which
arc not part Of courisr's proper work.
Fancy the baron trying TO borrow money Of
mol He IL an inveterate gambler. didn't
believe 1t when my lady's maid first told mo
so-but have seen enough since to satisfy
me that she was right ! have seen other
things besides, which-welll which don't In
crease my respect for my lady and the baron.
The maid says abe means 10 give warning to
leave. She Is respectable British female,
and doesn't take things quite so easily as l
do. II Is dull life here. No going into
company-no company at home-not n erea-
ture sees my lord-not even the consul or tina
banker. When he goes out he goes alone,
and generally toward nightfnlL Indoors he
shuts himself up IN his own room with his
books, and sees n little Of his wife and the
baron as possible. fancy things are coming
to crisis here. II my lords suspicious are
snce awakened the consequences will be ter
rible. Under certain provocations the noble
Montbarry is a man who would stick at
aothing. However, the pay is good-and
can't afford to talk OF leaving the place, like
my lady's maid"
Agnes handed back the letters so sugges-
tive of the penalty paid already for his own
infatuation by the man who had deserted her
with feelings Of shame and distress, which
made her no fit counselor for the helpless
woman who depended on her advice
"The one thing l can suggest" she said,
after first speaking some kind words Of COM
fort and hope, ~is that we should consult a
person OF greater experience than ours Sup
pose write and ask my lawyer (who Is also
my friend and trusted to come and advise us
To- morrow after his business hoursP
Emily eagerly and gratefully accepted the
suggestion. An hour was arranged for the
meeting on the next day; the correspondence
was left under the care of Agnes, and the
courier's wife took her leave.
Weary and heart sick, Agnes lay down on
the sofa, to rest md compose herself. The
careful nurse brought in the reviving cup Of
tea. Her quaint gossip about herself and
her occupations while Agnes had been away,
acted as u relief TO her mistress overburiened
mind. They were still talking quietly, when
they were startled by loud knock at the
house door, Hurried footsteps assembled the
stairs The door of the sitting room WAS
thrown open violently; the eourier's wife
rushed in like a madwoman.
"Hes deadl they've murdered himw Those
wild DIS were all she could say. She
dropped on her knees at the foot OF the sofa
held out her hand, with something clasped in
lt-and fell back in a swoon.
Tho nurse, signing to Agnes to open the
windows, took the necessary measures TO re-
store the faInting woman. "What's thisIn
she exclaimed. "Here'5 letter In her hand.
Sec what it Is, miss"
The open envelope was addressed evidently
In feigned handwriting TO "Mrs. Ferrari,"
the postmnrk was "Venice." The contents Of
the envelope were sheet OF foreign note
paper, and folded inclosure.
On the note paper, only one line was writ
tan 1t WINS again in feigned handwriting,
and 1t contained these words:
]To console you for the loss OF your hus-
band"
Agnes opened the inclosure next
Ie l. .N ~ A. To-,